COACH Jon Sanchez said Bournemouth were building something special after earning promotion to English rugby’s fourth tier.

Lions went into their match with Exmouth on Saturday needing a bonus-point win to go up if second-placed Barnstaple failed to collect maximum points.

The Devon side did not claim a bonus point in their victory against Ivybridge while the Chapel Gate outfit duly rose to the challenge in style with a 41-10 success. And Sanchez said the campaign had been a squad effort.

He said: “This is what you play rugby for – days like these.

“We have stuck at it all season and the boys have been fantastic, with a full squad involved from the seconds and thirds.

“They have all grafted and it is all of us who have done this – the players, the backroom staff – everyone at the club has been outstanding so I am very proud of everyone.”

Lions took the lead thanks to a couple of early penalties from Grant Hancox.

There was a fight off the ball midway through the half, which resulted in yellow cards for Bournemouth loosehead Joe Tarrant and Exmouth lock Jack Fahy.

That allowed Exmouth their only points of the opening period, full-back Sam Whitehead clearing the crossbar with his kick to pull matters back to 6-3.

Four minutes before half-time, 14-man Bournemouth grabbed their first try.

Openside flanker Ben Russell was held up over the line following a wave of phases in the Exmouth 22. And from the resultant five-metre scrum, scrum-half Sam Hardcastle ghosted through to score.

Hancox's conversion made it 13-3 at the break.

Some 11 minutes after the restart, Exmouth centre Nick Headley picked up a bobbling ball inside his own half and sprinted 60 metres to go in under the posts. Full-back Dave Bargent added the extras.

But the home side hit back four minutes later with their second try. Russell claimed the ball at a five-metre lineout and from the ruck, fly-half Mike Pope tied the defence in knots and released centre Scott Chislett to go under the posts. Hancox converted.

Bang on the hour mark, skipper and number eight Joe Rees bulldozed his way through from five metres to score try number three.

Bournemouth then lost Tarrant to the sin bin after he went off his feet at a ruck. But Lions' momentum was not halted with their bonus-point try scored on 67 minutes.

A penalty was kicked into the corner where the five-metre lineout saw Tarrant held up over the whitewash, resulting in a five-metre scrum.

Pope picked up from the ruck and tried his luck, only to be adjudged short at first.

But from the resultant ruck, lock Ben Roberts picked up and scrambled over to bag his first try for the club, with Hancox stretching to 34-10 the scoreline.

Lions showed their ruthlessness with five minutes left when Hardcastle got on the end of Hancox’s pass to touch down in the corner. Hancox converted.